North Carolina parents charged in death of 6-week-old baby

Published 8:11 am Saturday, July 31, 2021

: Mellony McIver and Zackery Phelps. Courtesy Morehead City Police Department

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Two parents North Carolina have been charged in the death of a 6-week-old baby who a district attorney says may have been exposed to drugs through breast milk.

The Morehead City Police Department said in a news release that Mellony McIver, 20, is facing a second-degree murder charge and Zackery Phelps, 26, is facing a second-degree murder without regard charge. They’re scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 13 and their attorneys weren’t immediately available for comment on Friday.

Carteret County District Attorney Scott Thomas said investigators are awaiting the infant’s toxicology report, but natural causes have been ruled out in the baby’s death, news outlets reported. Thomas said evidence showed the baby would have ingested drugs introduced through the mother’s breastfeeding.

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According to investigators, officers responding to a call July 7 about an infant in distress discovered the baby had died. Police said the apartment where McIver and Phelps lived was littered with drugs and showed signs of extensive drug use.

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